Impacts of biofuel production on biodiversity in Europe

Biemans, M., Y. Waarts, A. Nieto, V. Goba, L. Jones-Walters and C. Zöckler

ECNC–European Centre for Nature Conservation, 2008

ISBN: 978-90-76762-27-2

The global increase in land put aside for growing crops that can be processed for the production of biofuels has become a topic of intense discussion amongst the press and media, politicians, nature conservationists and environmentalists and the interested public. Initially, the general perception created in the public mind was that production of biofuels could become a crucial, if not the main, solution to the problem of non-carbon-emitting energy and fuel creation. But this is not so. Although biofuels may have a significant role to play, the situation is much more complicated than that. There are serious implications for food production and therefore prices, and also - the main interest of ECNC - for nature and biodiversity conservation. These issues have not yet been adequately explored, and the purpose of this report is to help inform and stimulate further exploration and discussion.

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